When I was looking as SGs for my G400 I tried out both Gibson China ('EE" and Saein China ('UC'.) The Saeins were far better quality than the Gibson Chinas and when I tried the Saein G400 against a Gibson USA 61' Reissue they were very similar in playability and (at least from what I could tell in a couple hours) build quality. Saein's manufacturing is in fact why many Epiphones built in the late 1990s and early 2000s were really good guitars, their production is top notch from what I've seen and their materials selection is above that of other Epi contractors. Sweet that's what I figured, however according to TGDP, Factory 'U' is Saein not Un Sung. I saw a EE G-400 06 and they still are not(nut)fitted in a slot the nut is just fitted on the end of the fretboard.I had the shop that I bought my LP fit it properly with a bone nut, Warranty does not cover that, but they did it for the cost of the bone blank seeing as they wanted to sell me the guitar, other that that it is a great guitar. The thing I dislike about the EE guitars is and I own a EE 05 LP, is that the nut is not properly fitted the DW seem to be. LOL A person can find a good guitar made from any of those places. The last new Sheraton II I saw was U05 Made in Korea lots of old stock at the Canadian distributor.

The first numbers after the letters designate the year eg. They make them all over, Gibsons plan I think was to have all their Epis made at the EE China plant they built in 2003 I think but production or models are still out there from the others.Do a search here good info on this.I have only seen SheratonIIs from S,Samick or U ,Unsung Korea, I have not seen a Chinese as of yet.

Yes the place of origin is shown by the besides a sticker that says made in where ever, the first letter of the serial designates the factory, DW is a Chinese factory,EE is Gibsons factory in China,S is Samick made in Korea, I is now a days a Keoran or Chinese, U is a Korean one and UC is the Chinese factory that the U factory has in Korea.

Korean epiphone sheraton serial numbers